Skipper's Military DaysEpisode 1: The New Private
by 123cosmo4
Summary: What was Skipper's life like in the military? He wasn't always the respected Captain he is now. Find out all about Skipper's life in the military as he climbs his way up from Private to Captain!
1. Chapter 1

Skipper's Military Days

The First of the First stories of Skipper in the military!

Chapter One-The Foreigns

"Oh, cool!" a very young penguin squealed. "Look at them!"

"Shut up," the other one hissed. "They might see us."

Skipper yanked down the head of his friend who was peering over the snow drift they were spying behind. They just discovered something incredible. Skipper and Martin were just playing toboggan down a snowdrift away from their penguin flock when they discovered some very strange penguins. They were not like any others the two had ever seen. There were eight of them and they seemed to be exploring something. They would walk along and observe their surroundings with caution. Skipper decided to spy on these strange penguins to see exactly what they were doing. Unfortunately, he had to take Martin with him. He wasn't very cautious with spying though and could be the end of them.

"They are leaving," Martin whispered. "Let's go."

Martin was just beginning to waddle out of the drift to perfectly expose himself. Skipper quickly yanked him back. "Leave the leadership to me. You will be our downfall. Fall out on my say-so."

Skipper noticed the penguins stop to look around again. He didn't think the eight looked dangerous, just curious. The leader of the penguins was very foreign looking with bluish gray and white feathers. A penguin with blue fur? Skipper was amazed. He was even more amazed with the fact that the leader was covered in dozens of battle scars. He had to be a fearsome warrior! The others looked pretty basic. He saw a penguin about he and Martin's age and could totally relate. The little penguin looked friendly enough.

During this observation, Skipper didn't realize that Martin left his side. He looked to his left frantically. Martin was inching out in the open! Skipper gasped with horror and pounced on his friend. They both thudded in the snow.

The youngest penguin of the group stopped and listened. Skipper quickly rolled them both back into the snow drift.

"Private, keep up," the leader ordered.

"Shh," the private said warily. "I think I hear something." He pulled out a notebook and scribbled something down. "According to my calculations, it came from behind that drift."

"Hmm," the leader moaned like it was the most totally natural thing in the world. "Better scope it out. Fall out."

When Skipper looked out from the snow drift the penguins were gone. Where did they go? They couldn't just disappear…Then there was a flash of black and white and Skipper felt something knock him in the side with force. He fell over and landed in the soft snow. The young penguin that detected him was now on top of him. He was too stunned to move as the private tried to pin him down. He wouldn't give up that easily though. He rolled over to the side quickly and jumped to his feet. The private held a very awesome battle stance and prepared for attack. Skipper glanced over at Martin for help, but he was just watching from the safety of the snow drift.

"Bring it on!" Skipper challenged the young penguin.

He was about to attack when the penguin pulled out a notebook and a pencil. He was scribbling something down while Skipper watched with curiosity.

"..and if I carry the four and I can find the square of-"

"Ah-hem."

"I can then detect the movement of my opponent based on star map and Aztec origin-"

"Ah-hem!"

The private looked up from his notebook. His topaz eyes glittered with annoyance. "Can I help you?"

"You're a dork," Skipper answered rudely. "I thought we were fighting."

"Yes, KOWALSKI!" a fierce voice thundered. "I thought you were fighting too."

Skipper took a step back when he saw the leader penguin from earlier appear along with the whole team. He looked quite scary up close and he wanted to retreat. He heard Kowalski, strange name, whine and shy away slightly.

"What were you doing, Kowalski?" he ordered unpleasantly. "You have to fight like you are trained to do, soldier."

"Sorry, TJ," he whimpered. "I just…had to make some calculations."

The leader, TJ, softened up when he noticed how guilty and sorry Kowalski was. That made Skipper feel a little less scared. Now would be the perfect time to flee but something kept him in place.

"That's fine, Kowalski," TJ said gently. "But I expect some fighting next time we are under attack soldier."

Kowalski saluted TJ loyally.

You're under attack?" Skipper asked, drawing complete attention to himself.

"Shut up, Skipper," Martin whimpered from the drift.

_Coward,_ Skipper thought. The team was now looking at him carefully. He showed no fear and sought only an answer for his question. He felt so brave when he actually took a few steps toward them.

"What were you doing hiding out in that snow drift?" TJ demanded.

"What are you doing in my home?" Skipper shot back with a voice of confidence.

TJ and the second in command penguin exchanged glances. Skipper winced with fright when he saw that the penguin only had a right eye and a red mark where the left should be. He backed up a few steps before he accidently tripped and fell.

_Oh no! _he thought._ What did I just do? I should just lay here._

And he did just that. He waited until everyone gathered over him, even scary eye.

"Problem, little penguin?" the scary penguin asked coolly.

"Well…"He decided to tell it like it was. "You just caught me off guard, that's all. You know, since…yeah."

The penguin glanced at TJ coldly. Skipper felt like he was going to puke when the leader said "He's all yours, Lieutenant."

Then everyone backed up except the scary lieutenant. Skipper shakily stood up and whimpered pathetically. The lieutenants single eye glittered with challenge and the look that said "Hey, pipsqueak. I'm going to rip out your stuffing."

"I…uh…"

He looked around for a way to retreat, but the circle wouldn't allow him to. He was trapped in a circle alone with creepy scary- eye over here. He was about to be attacked.

"Bring it on, little penguin," he growled.

Skipper found himself glancing at pathetic little Kowalski for help. He just shrugged and said "Nice knowing you."


	2. Chapter 2An Unexpected Attack

Chapter Two-An Unexpected Attack

Skipper was rigid with fear. He glanced at Kowalski for help, but the young Private just shrugged helplessly. Skipper knew he was no match for the Lieutenant. Well, this was the end. He just stood there and was easy prey for his opponent. There had to be a way out of this.

Then he noticed something. He was too busy spying to notice it before. Skipper swallowed an ice block when he saw a hole in the thick ice they were standing on. That meant only one thing: leopard seal. The seals were dangerous predators that hunted penguins. Every second here causing recon was sure danger. His eyes were locked on the hole in the ice and his heart pounded. They had to leave.

He stopped looking at the ice and looked back up. He saw one-eye creepy freakazoid standing only about two inches from him. Skipper was immediately pushed to the ground. The Lieutenant's flipper was over Skipper's throat and tightening. He gasped for air and tried to push it off, but he was way too strong for the young penguin. He glanced back at Kowalski who was watching nervously. Skipper's pleading eyes begged Kowalski to say something. Kowalski shook his head no, but Skipper was persistent. Finally, Kowalski decided to say something. What Skipper didn't know that also was an advantage was that, being a private, he was Frankenstein's apprentice.

"Austin, maybe you shouldn't…"

"Shouldn't what?" pressed the Lieutenant and didn't loosen the slightest bit on poor Skipper.

"Shouldn't…put so much pressure on the soft tissue of the throat."

"No, this little guy doesn't care," Austin said in return and tightened on Skipper who was now whining with the fact that he could possibly choke to death. "What are you looking at? Ice?"

Skipper had a response, but he couldn't answer. They were in DANGER. Austin finally loosened his grip slightly so Skipper could answer.

"Seals," he wailed. "We have to leave."

Austin seemed confused. "What's a seal?"

He couldn't even believe that. Every penguin knew what a seal was! The whole lot of them seemed confused. Not even the smart intelligent Kowalski knew. TJ was equally confused.

"Whatever a seal is, I'm sure we can take it," Austin pointed out.

That was when it happened. There was a crack in the ice followed by the vibrations from under the ice. Skipper was so scared that he struggled frantically. Austin was no longer paying attention to him and he was able to slip away to Kowalski. They all looked at each other frantically, wondering what to do. Then in front of them the ice exploded and a giant creature appeared. Skipper had never seen one so close. It was far bigger than all the penguins put together and its eyes were fixed on them: the prey. They had never seen a seal before and were confused.

"Attack!" TJ ordered.

"W-what?" Skipper exclaimed.

What were they doing? They were no match for the seal. The best thing to do was to flee as fast as they could, not fight it. Unfortunately, all the penguins agreed with TJ. They all circled the seal and their fighting style was something Skipper had not yet seen. Kowalski tried to move towards the others, but Skipper yanked him back.

"Stay here," he said. "It is suicide!"

"I have to," Kowalski replied loyally. "TJ is the Captain."

Then Kowalski was gone. Skipper stood back and watched the team circle the seal who was trying to single out a penguin. Oh, he couldn't believe this was happening. They would be torn to shreds in a matter of minutes.

All of a sudden the leopard seal struck out at one of the soldiers, grabbed her, and tossed her aside like she was an old toy. She was tossed across the ice and quickly rose again. The others decided to attack. Captain TJ and Lieutenant Austin both sprang at the seal's back while it lumbered after the others. They jumped away lightly while their leaders went in. Skipper just watched with amazement. They were using some fighting style he had never seen before and it was amazing. They weren't has helpless as he thought.

The seal flipped around suddenly and through off TJ and Austin. They landed swiftly on their feet and leaped nimbly away. They stayed together and a far distance from the others. They were not very strong with their attacks. They thought they could take on such a big enemy, but they couldn't. It was way too big for a group of penguins. They would come in and do harmless attacks and then retreat, repeating over and over. All that effort was no good and it was still trying to get them. It kept trying to get Austin and TJ instead of the others. That didn't work and the seal was not as dumb as it seemed. It squared up to the two of them and prepared to attack them again. They were as ready as anything until the seal whirled around and lunged right for the five penguins watching and being a distraction. They screamed with terror and tried to escape. One penguin did not though. The seal lifted its head carrying a prize in its mouth: Kowalski. He dangled helplessly and tried to free himself. It was no use.

"Kowalski!" Skipper wailed helplessly.

Austin and TJ heard Skipper's worthless wailing and saw the poor Kowalski dangling from the seal's massive jaws. Before TJ could think, Austin quickly jumped to the rescue of his poor apprentice. The seal quickly lifted a fin and swatted him right out of the air like a useless fly. He landed on the ground roughly and staggered to get up. The seal was completely focused on them so they couldn't rescue Kowalski. Skipper knew this was life and it happened all the time, but he never thought he would see a seal prey on a penguin in his lifetime. Any second the seal would crunch down and break Kowalski's back like an icicle. He would probably fail, but he really liked the young penguin and had to do something.

_Kowalski, you better love me for this!_

Skipper mindlessly pounced on the seal's head. It flinched with shock and tried to shake him off. He clung on as tight as he could. The seal tried hard to throw him off and he thought the tips of his wings would surely break off if he held on any tighter. He glanced down at Kowalski who was too stunned to do anything. He had to get the seal to let go, but how? HOW?

Then Skipper's left wing slipped off the seal's head and the force made him let go. He was falling off. He desperately reached out to grab something…anything. He managed to find something and held on to it as tight as he could. It was Kowalski's flipper. They both swung around wildly, wailing with terror. There was no help for them now. They were surely done when the thought to be heavy ice cracked. It was just a little crack at first, not enough to do anything. Then it burst from under them and they plunged into the water. Skipper was pulled under the water and the shock of the cold almost made him let Kowalski go. He couldn't let go no matter what. If he did now, Kowalski would be done for.

Luckily, the water also shocked the seal a little and its grip loosened on Kowalski. Skipper took advantage of that and yanked Kowalski free from the seal's grasp. The stunned penguin made no attempt to swim and began to go down. Skipper rolled his eyes, grabbed Kowalski, and swam for both of them to the surface. They leaped out of the water and landed safely on the ice. The rest of the team was already waiting for them. Skipper jumped up quickly, always ready for more while Kowalski carefully got up.

"It's gone," Skipper panted breathlessly. "No more problem."

"Kowalski, you okay?"

The sweet female penguin the seal tossed across the ice already followed her instinct of checking Kowalski over. Luckily, the seal didn't even puncture his skin and he seemed fine and dandy. Kowalski smile shyly at her attention and then joined her to the team.

_Maybe all of them aren't jerks after all, _Skipper thought.

"That was amazing," TJ praised Skipper and sounded like he really meant it. "You rescued Kowalski when the rest of us couldn't."

"It's a seal," he replied. "The most dangerous predator around here next to the whales. Anyway, fighting it was kind of a dumb idea."

"You're right, pipsqueak," TJ replied. "I have never seen such heroism from such a little penguin. You took action and knew what to do."

Skipper was so flattered. Apparently the leader of a penguin military was praising him for what he did. It was incredible and he swelled with pride.

"What's your name, little recruit?" TJ asked.

"Skipper," he replied. "Why do you need to know?"

"Just to remember you by. Thanks for the help. Come on, team. We really need to get back to base."

Well, that was it. All the penguins turned away from him like he didn't matter anymore. When they wanted to know his name, Skipper expected them to say something totally different like "What's your name, big strong heroic savior? We need you to join our military." How stupid was he? He felt like wailing when they began to leave him behind. They were the most fascinating penguins he ever met and now they were abandoning him.

When he thought all hope was lost, Kowalski said something to Austin he couldn't hear. Austin nodded with approval and then Kowalski tobogganed back to Skipper who now felt a flicker of hope.

"I know the odds of you saving me were like…58.753 to one and I really appreciate your help," Kowalski said generously. "I kind of felt like we were abandoning you and I was just making sure we left with something, you know."

"Sure," Skipper agreed. "Even though you're a nerd."

"Yeah, everyone says that," Kowalski replied, taking some offense.

"But I like you. Friends?"

"Yeah. Friends."

Skipper raised a flipper and waited for a high five. Kowalski just stared blankly.

"It's a high five, brainy. You're supposed to slap me back."

"Oh…I get it."

Kowalski and Skipper high fived to present their friendship. Then Kowalski left to catch up to his own kind. Skipper just stared after them with longing. They were just so…cool. Everyone one of them were like this military force and took on every problem head on. At first he thought they were invader jerkfaces, but they were so much more than that. He wished that he could be Kowalski and see how they lived. They were much better than his own colony of cowards who met absolutely nothing to him. All they cared about was watching out for seals. Martin proved the point by retreating and leaving Skipper to fend for himself. These penguins had a purpose in life and he wanted to seek that purpose more than anything.

_What's stopping you?_

Skipper couldn't leave behind these penguins just yet. Staying far enough out of sight, he began to follow them. He wanted to see exactly what their home base was.


	3. Chapter 3Military Suicide

Chapter 3-Military Suicide

"Oh…wow."

Skipper followed the team for miles and never exactly knew where they were going to. What was _their base?_ Was it a snowdrift or something? It was quite the opposite though. It was a HUGE ship. That must explain how the penguins got there. It was bigger than a whale and was incredible. He made sure they all disappeared inside before coming in closer. He walked right up to the entrance and stared up at it.

The Well Deserved. The ship couldn't have a better name. HE had to get inside somehow. This was only the outer corner of an entire ship. The colony was probably worried about him, but what did that matter. He had a ship to explore. Then again, what if they caught him? Would they be mad? Truthfully, he didn't care. HE almost got devoured by a seal and got into a fight with the Lieutenant and he was afraid of_ this?_ Military officials didn't fear anything. He braced himself before walking inside. He walked up the giant ladder that led to the door and reached the top. The door was left open a crack and he didn't hear anything going on inside. Skipper moved the door slowly. Then, it creaked. It creaked so loud that he almost had to dive for cover. When it quickly silenced, he froze and listened carefully. He didn't hear anything or see the shadows of approaching penguins on the hallway walls. It was big enough to squeeze through so he got in. He made it this far and was very proud of that. Now…where were they?

Skipper wasn't quite sure where to go. He walked down the hallway and pressed himself to the wall. He walked along for a long time until he wasn't quite sure where he was. This ship was so huge that he got lost in it. Now…he found a room. The door was tightly closed and he was aware not to open it. He stood up tall and peered through the window. That explained why he never ran into anyone. All eight of them were sleeping. There were eight neat bunks carved into the wall and a penguin curled up in each one. They didn't look that comfortable, but maybe that was a military thing. He wanted to go inside, but that was a screwball idea. They would probably wake up. Well…then again, they WERE asleep after all. HE couldn't hide out forever. He wanted to join them more than anything and how could he join if he never existed? What if they took this ship and left in the morning? Nothing could be worse than that. He tried to open it slightly and flinched, waiting for it to squeak. It didn't and opened nice and silently. He carefully placed one foot in the room

_BEEP! BEEP!_

Skipper leaped back in horror when he set off the alarm. Infra red trap. Of course. Before he could move, a giant plastic crate fell from the ceiling and caged him inside. He just _had_ to open the stupid door and come in.

The penguins' eyes shot open and they sprang out of their beds. They formed a perfect military row in front of the cage. Skipper backed to the back of the little cage and wished he could melt into the floor.

"Skipper!" Kowalski exclaimed joyfully. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a great question, Skipper," TJ added and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing in our base? The one that you intruded on without our permission. The one that you tried to spy on?"

"I'm starting to get annoyed by this little stalker," Austin said to TJ. "Just throw him out."

"Don't do that," Kowalski pleaded.

All eyes were on Kowalski. "I think he was just curious where we came from or something, right Skipper?"

"Yeah. That's what happened."

He tried to lift the crate but it was useless. He wondered how long they would leave him in here for. Kowalski made a move to help him, but Austin held out a wing to stop him. Kowalski really was a true friend.

"You seem interested in us," TJ continued. "Why is that? Don't you want to go to your own home instead of…well…ours?"

_Tell them! You have been rehearsing this for an hour. Just say it now._

_"_Did you ever think that perhaps he wants to join our military?" the female penguin suggested.

TJ shook his head with disappointment and pulled her closer to him. "Oh, Lyla, what am I ever going to do with you? That is the craziest thing I have ever heard. You seriously think this little penguin could EVER become one of us?"

"I didn't see you rescue Kowalski," she answered smartly.

"Um, well… Oh. Whatever. The point is, he won't want to join our elite force."

"Actually, that is why I'm here," he replied meekly. "I…do want to become part of your military."

"Hmm…" TJ was really thinking about it! Austin seemed so shocked that the captain was even thinking about letting him join. "You seriously think you have what it takes?"

"Yes," Skipper answered with much needed confidence. "I do."

"He won't last two hours with us," Lieutenant Austin protested. He surely didn't want Skipper in the military with a passion.

"We will see about that," TJ decided. "Welcome to the group, new private."

Skipper could barely believe it. Only one visit to the ship and now he was the private of this military team. He was just like Kowalski now. He didn't need to envy Kowalski anymore. He caught on from the previous actions and saluted TJ loyally. He felt like life had meaning again.

"Well, new recruit, get some shut-eye," TJ said and lifted the crate off his head. "We will find out how you survive tomorrow. Your first training day."

"Okay…Training for what?"

"Combat of course," TJ replied and slapped him on the back. "We are trained for life and death service, young private. You must always be prepared for battle. We start in the morning."

A few of the penguins congratulated him for getting in and then followed TJ to their bunks. Kowalski was bouncing excitedly around Skipper and they happily high fived.

"You got in!" squealed Kowalski. "I can't believe you actually came here. You are a private just like me and the odds of that are…I don't even know."

"Um…yeah this seems cool and all," Skipper agreed. "You go to bed this early at night?"

"Of course. We have to get up early in the morning. I hope we can train together tomorrow. It will be so fun."

"I bet it will. So…how does training work exactly? What do we do?"

"According to some backround knowledge and past experiences, I predict there is a probable chance we will be doing fitness warm-ups. Trust me, they are not pleasant but they are required from all new recruits. We better get to sleep."

Kowalski leaped into his bunk and burrowed into the covers. Skipper watched from a distance and realized something. There wasn't a bunk for him.

"Oh, I forgot there is a shortage now that you came," Kowalski offered generously. "Here, take my bed. I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"Don't bother," Skipper replied. "I can sleep on the floor just fine."

"Soldiers, present!"

In only a matter of seconds, all the soldiers stood in a perfect military row in front of their leader, saluting him loyally. He looked at everyone down the row until he reached the end. One soldier was missing…one private to be exact. He glanced over at the corner and saw Skipper buried in the blankets and pillows on the floor.

"I'll handle this," he said casually.

TJ was definitely prepared for this. He already had a nice bucket of ice water sitting out. He picked it up and dumped it all over Skipper. His eyes shot open with alarm and he cowered against the wall with shock.

"What'd I do?" he whimpered so his voice cracked.

"Wake up, private!" TJ ordered. "There is no lolly-gagging in the military. Now is training time for you and Kowalski while the rest of us go scouting. Austin, train the apprentices for me while I lead the scouting partrol."

Austin nodded. Skipper was so cold he curled up in a ball for warmth. No, this couldn't be happening. The other penguins were _leaving_ meaning he had to stay with Mr. Halloweentown here. It couldn't be so bad. Kowalski would bear it with him. First, it started easy. The three of them watched the others leave the ship. Once the door closed, Austin turned on them.

"Give me 20!"

Skipper had no idea what to do. He watched as Kowalski threw himself to the ground and began doing perfect push-ups. Strange exercise and Skipper copied. He tried going down a little at first until he was even with Kowalski. Kowalski was shaking and this was effort for him, but to Skipper this was plain easy. He finished long before Kowalski and felt proud. Was this the worst the military had to offer?

"Tired yet?" Austin wondered with amusement.

"No," he answered honestly.

"20 more then. Both of you."

Skipper shrugged. Kowalski gave him a hateful look and then they kept going. They reached 40 and Kowalski was practically dying on the floor. Skipper wasn't tired yet. He must be really good at this if he was succeeding over Kowalski.

"Kowalski, this is pathetic," Austin pointed out hurtfully. "I want to see more, man!"

"More!" Kowalski whined.

"Yes, more. Skipper here is doing much better than you."

Austin's praise felt like a medal to Skipper. He rolled over and breathed deeply. Kowalski was dying next to him, trying to do more push-ups. Of course Skipper felt sorry for poor little Kowalski, but apparently the war between them was over and Austin was treating him with the same respect as he did for Kowalski. Finally, they finished with that.

"I hate you," Kowalski growled, even though he didn't mean it.

Austin was way ahead of the game. He beckoned them to follow him outside and on to the deck. The ship was so long that they could barely see the other side. The stopwatch he carefully toyed with was not a good sign according to Kowalski.

"Other side and back," he ordered. "Go!"

Skipper followed Kowalski. They jumped down and slid on their bellies to cover more distance and would leap up and jump again when they slowed down. It seemed to take forever until they reached the other side and then made it back again. The stopwatch clicked and they finished at the same time .They were both equally good at this. They stopped with relief.

"What are you two marshmallows doing?" Austin thundered at them. "I need to see fifteen more right now."

They were so scared that they bolted off without question. 15? Forget the thoughts from earlier, Austin was trying to kill them. Of course, according to Kowalski, this was perfectly normal.

"You do this every day?" panted Skipper.

"Pretty much," he replied. "I think it is worse since you are with me. These stupid exercises are to make us more fit."

The suicides couldn't have a better name. By the time they finished, they were so tired that the collapsed on the floor wheezing. AT least they were finished now. Both privates felt like jelly and wanted to lay there all day. Skipper buried himself in s snow drift to cool off. Austin disappeared for a while until they were recovered. He returned effortlessly carrying two cinder blocks and ice water for the dehydrated apprentices. They sucked down their water gratefully and almost gagged up their water when a cinder block was dropped in front of them. They looked so light when Austin carried them, but Skipper couldn't even lift it off the ground. Kowalski tried too, but got no better success.

"Those cinder blocks aren't going to push themselves. Take these blocks to…" Skipper and Kowalski looked up slowly. "Up the mast and to the top."

"We can't do that," Skipper whined. "We can't even lift them."

"Figure it out," Austin answered boredly. "Get going."

Kowalski and Skipper exchanged glances and then tried to move their blocks. They could scoot them easy enough across straight ground, but climbing the mast? That was straight up and like a million feet up in the air. They reached the mast and just stared up at it.

"Kowalski, options."

Kowalski tried to scribble out a solution on a notebook. "Well, we are at a 90 degree angle and these blocks way about 20.25 pounds each so we can't chuck them…I don't know. For once in my life, I don't know."

Kowalski was right about that. They couldn't life the blocks with their wings, but perhaps if they had some help. Skipper sparked an idea when he saw some rope in a pile. He picked it up and studied the length. IT was sturdy and long. He tied an end to the cinder block and the other end around himself. Now perhaps he would be strong enough to climb the mast and take the block without impossible effort.

"Great idea, Skipper," Kowalski said brightly and did exactly what Skipper did. They were ready to climb.

They pounced on the mast and began to climb up without effort. Once their ropes ran out of slack they tried to pull up their blocks. Skipper began to shake with effort and was too tired to go on. He searched for something to grab on to and just hung there for a few moments before going on. He was going very slowly, but he still was making some progress. It took what seemed like hours but he made it halfway. He looked back and noticed Kowalski was WAY down there. He was slowly sliding down the pole. Perhaps Kowalski, the weakest link, could use a little help. Leaving his cinder block on the halfway point, he inched down the pole after Kowalski.

"I can't do it," he panted tiredly. "Help me out?"

"Sure. I like team players."

While Kowalski pulled it like a sled dog, Skipper pushed it from behind and the effort was much easier. They made it to the halfway point and took a break. Then they moved on. Skipper finally saw the top right ahead and heaved himself and the cinder block up. He had to pull Kowalski up, but they both made it.

Austin watched them from below. Skipper was so proud of himself for doing so great at this. He was a natural.

"You can come down now," he decided. "And take those cinder blocks with you."

Fitness exercise was terrible and grueling, but they finally made it through. After the cinder block climb they had to dig trenches in the snow outside. They practically dug to the center of the earth before they were allowed to stop. Finally, they came back on the ship deck. Obviously, Skipper's trench was much deeper than Kowalski's. The exercises and torture was enough to make anyone want to leave the military, but Skipper liked it. Every new job was another task that Skipper could ace and look great.

"You two feel like jelly yet?" Austin asked the two wheezing apprentices lying on the floor.

"Uh-huh," Kowalski wheezed.

"We don't have time to waste. You two stop taking a dirt nap because it is time for the real training to begin."

"Uh…okay," Skipper and Kowalski moaned and slowly rose to their feet.

All of a sudden Austin growled with annoyance and leaped on them. They were thrown down to the ground and he pinned down both of them at the same time. They squirmed to get up but he effortlessly kept them down.

"Pathetic," Austin insulted them. "Simply pathetic. You two zeros need to be prepared for attack, not whine like kittens."

_What's a kitten?_ Skipper thought.

"The first thing every soldier needs to know is how to escape being pinned down," he instructed them. "Kowalski, you clearly already know this. If I was an enemy…well…let's just say I would of sliced out your throats by now and you two would have been too lazy to do anything about it."

Skipper and Kowalski shuddered with disgust and finally got up. They waited for instruction while tensed up in case they were surprise attacked again.

"Nothing is better than a demonstration," Austin pointed out. "Skipper, attack Kowalski."

"You want me to…attack," Skipper confirmed unsurely.

"That's what I said, isn't it? Kowalski is way more experience than you so you should learn a little something from a real fight."

"We have never done this before," Kowalski said and made sure to write that down. "Is there a reason for this change of chain reaction?"

"That's insubordination, soldier. You very well know why. Because of that pathetic little 'attack' on the ice yesterday. When Skipper tries to pin you down, just do what you're trained to do."

"Sorry to be insubordinate, but Skipper probably doesn't know what to do."

_Thank you,_ Skipper thought gratefully.

"Then Skipper is perfect for you," Austin insulted. "Unless you want to fight me."

"On second thought, Skipper is perfect."

_Oh, what to do?_ Skipper had no idea how to assault anyone. Kowalski was already waiting for him to attack and he was going to get smoked without a doubt. _Use your instincts, Skipper. Just use your instincts. Maybe Kowalski will turn on the old think melon again and you will have a chance._

Kowalski's topaz eyes were locked on him and waited for him to react somehow. He looked directly above Kowalski's head and stepped forward with fake interest like there was really something up there worth looking at. This time Kowalski was in his eye sight so this wouldn't turn out like the little epidemic out on the ice. Kowalski was a bit interested and looked up. Skipper took advantage of that just like Lieutenant Austin took advantage of him. He bowled right into Kowalski and they landed on the floor. Kowalski suddenly flipped up so Skipper flew off. Before he even landed Kowalski went for him again. He quickly rolled to the side and retreated a few steps. He was completely relying on instincts and wasn't even thinking about his smart actions. Kowalski shot out and jabbed him repeatedly everywhere until he lost balance. While retreating back, Skipper now was ready for Kowalski's jabbing attacks. He reached out, snatched his opponent's flipper and threw Kowalski on the ground. He tried to pounce on Kowalski while he struggled to get up, but apparently that was exactly what he wanted. He flipped up suddenly and then, before Skipper could even think, he was thrown to the ground by Kowalski. The fight was over and Kowalski let him go.

"Great use of instinct you two," Austin complimented them. "And you, Skipper, just became a private and you are equally matched to Kowalski. You have been succeeding in everything we have done today. A true prodigy."

"Nice," Kowalski agreed.

The two of them high fived again. Skipper knew he was good at this, but no prodigy. Then again, he didn't expect to win a fight anyway. He was lucky to survive so long though. This was a torturous life to those who didn't think of the rewards, but this was great to Skipper. He could imagine the compliments he would get from TJ and the rest of the gang when they saw how great he was getting along. He had a feeling that all these exercises were just to see how long he would stay before running home. Well, Skipper was still here and planned on staying.


	4. Chapter 4Assualt

Chapter 4-Assualt

Skipper and Kowalski were very tired after training together. They went to bed early, before the sun even set. Since the others were gone, Skipper got a bunk this time. They plopped down in their beds like cold turkeys and curled up under their covers.

"I have never been so overworked in my whole life," Skipper moaned.

"Eh, you will get used to it," Kowalski assured him. "It is normal training for me."

"Does Mr. Halloweentown train you all the time?" he wondered. "And not someone less rough like Lyla."

"Oh, Austin isn't that scary, Skipper," he replied annoyed. "Only the captain and the lieutenant are allowed to train privates. Though I do agree, Lyla is very nice."

"So how long have you stayed here in Antarctica?" Skipper questioned. "All of you guys seem so foreign. I have never seen penguins here before."

"A few weeks. We came here on duty to make sure there are no enemy troops taking refuge here."

"Enemies? What kind of enemies are you talking about?"

"Well…I guess you should know who our top enemy is," Kowalski decided and peered down at the bottom bunk. "We are tracking down enemies. They are this group of ex-military penguins that we were sent to track down. They are the Southern Raiders or so I hear. They are nothing but a problem and we are sent to eliminate them."

Skipper perked up with interest. "But why? What is wrong with them?"

"Well, I don't know much," he admitted. "TJ and Austin won't tell me and…well…the others won't either for that matter. I hear that they are trying to take over the WORLD. We have been tracking them down all over the world actually. We followed them here but I don't think they are here. The team has went out scouting every day for weeks and they found nothing."

"That's incredible. I wasn't sure what you guys trained for and now I know we are training for a purpose. So you have been all over the world?"

"Um…only a few countries actually," Kowalski answered.

Skipper thought about Kowalski's words in silence. He had no idea that the penguin team had an arch enemy they were tracking all across the world. He was actually part of it and could already imagine himself fighting them in the future. Such a great future…Wait a minute. They traveled all over the world. That meant that he would have to leave Antarctica probably for a long time. Was this worth it?

He glanced up at Kowalski. Yes, it was definitely worth it.

The door to the sleeping quarters opened and the returning scouts filed in. Skipper leaped up suddenly and expected to be drowned in ice water. Instead, the team didn't even seem to notice them. He layed down and just watched.

"How did the privates do, Lieutenant?" ordered TJ.

"I do say, that knew recruit, Skipper, has outstanded me in more ways than one. I have never trained such a prodigy."

TJ and Austin turned to look at Skipper. He quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Kowalski really was so he was pretty real looking.

"He is already better than Kowalski at nearly everything. He is stronger and more capable of doing the basic exercises they did today."

"What exactly did you make them do?" TJ pressed.

"Push-ups, suicides, trench digging, and taking cinder blocks to the mast. Skipper succeeded in everything, even in battle training. He just started and is almost equally matched with Kowalski. Well, that isn't saying much actually."

"I knew I made a good choice with that little recruit," TJ said proudly. "Anyway, I have some other news. We need to leave right away. We saw the Southern Raiders from a hill. They are already out at sea and are heading north. We need to as well. Everything is ready to go."

"Should I wake the apprentices?" Austin asked.

"No. They will find out when they wake up."

The crew gathered around their captain for instructions. Skipper watched with curiosity. They were leaving today. No more Antarctica. That was a good thing. No more ice and snow.

"Dave, you man the ship," TJ ordered. "We leave now."

The crew left leaving the sleeping quarters empty. Skipper still felt like a dollop of Daisy, but now he was too interested in what was going on to sleep. He swiftly slipped out of his bunk and into Kowalski's who was still fast asleep.

"Kowalski! Brainatron, wake up!"

Skipper shook Kowalski by the shoulders until his topaz eyes flew open and he jumped back with alarm.

"Hey, guess what I just heard?" Skipper exclaimed and stole most of Kowalski's bunk, banishing him to a corner. "Well, for a start, I overheard Austin tell TJ some nice things about me."

"Uh-huh," Kowalski murmured uncaringly and tried to get back to sleep.

"Hey!" Skipper slapped him for some focus. Kowalski jumped up and tried to leave the bunk, but Skipper barred his way. "That's not all. We are leaving right now. I heard TJ say that we were all leaving. They found the Southern Raiders and we are following them out to sea."

"Oh, cool," said Kowalski. "According to my calculations, we have been here exactly 318 hours and we need to get going. Where are we going?"

"Somewhere up north according to TJ. What are we still doing in bed? Let's go."

They jumped out of bed and headed up to the deck with everyone else. It was dark outside and the weather was perfect for sailing. They went to the very front of the boat and looked over the edge with fascination. The ship slowly began to move, taking Skipper away from Antarctica, probably forever.

"Kowalski," Skipper moaned.

Kowalski quickly carried Skipper to the bow and draped him over the edge. Skipper spewed for probably the eighth time. He had no idea ships were so rough and rumbly. He gorged on a bunch of fish and was now hacking it all back up.

" You okay, dude?" asked Kowalski and pulled him back on the deck where he collapsed the moment Kowalski let go. "You look terrible. Then again, sea sickness is common among those who consume large amounts and have little ship riding experience."

"Oh…Kowalski."

"Ugh." Kowalski returned Skipper to the edge of the bow and waited. HE was getting pretty bored tending to Skipper's puking needs. He stared out over the cold Antarctic water with boredom. They had been on the ship for four hours. Then Kowalski noticed something that was just sliding into view. It was very dark, but he could see a light. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light that sometimes happened this far down south. He kept staring at the faint light and it was very unusual. He pulled out his trusty pencil and loyal notebook and tried to write down all the possibilities of what it could be. He stared at it for minutes until it seemed to be growing. Maybe he should tell TJ or somebody. They would probably just say he was thinking nonsense.

The light was getting closer…He decided to go tell someone. There was no one else on deck that could see it except Skipper who was about to puke his guts out.

"I'm going to check something," Kowalski decided. "Just try not to puke until I get back, okay?"

Kowalski abandoned Skipper and went straight to the control center inside. He peeked in the window and saw Dave driving the ship, but he looked very…distracted. Well, no wonder. The rest of the crew (that said they were doing important maintenance) were playing Stomp the Wombat. He hesitated before barging in. The moment he did the penguins hot-potatoed their cards to TJ who quickly tried to hide all the cards.

"Hello, Private," TJ greeted guiltily. "Um…we were just checking the cards for…um…

"Whatever," Kowalski interrupted. "I just found something weird that I need you to see. Outside."

TJ rolled his eyes and slowly tended to Kowalski's need like it was a huge burden. "Where is this little nightmare?"

"Right there. That light."

Kowalski pointed out the window at the direct light. TJ squinted to see it at first and then he just stared at it like it was the most important thing in the world. Then he jumped up and roughly pushed Kowalski away. He fell to the ground and stared after TJ with hatred.

"Hey!" he whined. "That wasn't nice."

"Austin! Get over here!"

The two of them tried to look out of the periscope at the same time, trying to push each other away to get a better look.

There was no warning, just a terrible whistling that started quiet and then got louder. BOOM! There was a loud crash and then the ship rocked so hard that all the penguins were thrown off their feet. Kowalski was so stressed and had no idea what was happening. The other sure did.

"Brace yourselves, team!" TJ shouted in a panicked tone. "We are under attack!"


End file.
